Draught Is My Craft: Troubleshooting Life from the Draught Technicians Perspective

Our's is a living language, obviously. It grows, bends, and flexes. We gain words and lose them. Some are retired. Some are disdained and mocked, falsely labeled and unfairly maligned as improper or incorrect. And then, we have punctuation; which is equally used, misused, over-used or used when unnecessary, out of habit.  One of the greatest offenders is the oft misunderstood apostrophe.   This highbrowed Devil, possessor of all things, well...Im done wasting it where it is no longer needed. Separation or combination of the possessive and the plural is a worthy use, indeed.  However, I feel it is wasted in a few areas, ignored in one specific instance, and forgotten where it might be of great utility.  You, keen observer that you are, may already have noticed the uses of this little beastie, which I no longer wish to indulge.  I find that the most common places, wherein I see and use the apostrophe are in the words "don't", "won't" and "I'm...

I came across a headline today on MSNBC/CNBC which read:  A second wave of Russians is fleeing Putin's regime. I would have thought that a Copy Editor might Suggest that: A second wave of Russians are fleeing Putin's regime.   or .... A second wave of Russians have begun  fleeing Putin's regime. Or if the confusion is over the wave or the Russians are the object, we can then make it extra tidy:  A second wave of Russians flees Putin's regime. Or old school: A second wave of Russians now  fleeing Putin's regime!  Besides, the word "Now" pops, and entices a sense of urgency.      I couldn't resist.  While I love all aspects of our Bastard language, including slang and dialect, I have to draw the line somewhere.  For me, written media, Ad Copy, and especially News Copy, should all reflect the most basic adherence to grammar.  Below, is a paste of the comment I made, via the contact portal at CNBC.com.  Let's see if...

          I hate the word "tap." And I get it; people aren't going to change. It's the word they have always used. That does not mean that I am going to stop fighting. Just because people keep doing it, doesn't make it okay. Examples: racism, spousal abuse, child abuse, slavery, sex trafficking, murder, using the word "decimate" where they mean annihilate, massacre, or obliterate, listening to Nickelback... All of these things still happen, even though we all know how wrong they are. Consider this an official warning: If you, the Beer professional, continue to use the noun "tap" in  my presence, I will do my best to berate and belittle you, in the presence of your peers and underlings.      For you non-professionals and Newbies, I can sense the confusion and shock as it falls across your faces. How does this little, utilitarian word envoke such white-hot rage in the heart of an otherwise kind person?  The thing is, some...